Musicians: Don’t Give Up! Success May Be Right Around the CornerSuccess as a musician can be illusive and it's natural to get discouraged. But our message is simple: musicians, don't give up! Keep trying, because success may be right around the corner.
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France’s recorded music market generated $450m in H1, as paid subscription revenues grow 11.3% YoYSixteen of the top 20 albums in France in H1 2024 were domestically produced
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New Toys: The Fender On-the-Go Amplifier (Mustang Micro Plus)Fender has released the latest version of its most versatile on-the-go mini amplifier, the Mustang Micro Plus. Building on the success of The Mustang Micro launched in 2021, this new update offers personal guitar amplification that fits in your pocket and has a wide selection of tones, amp models, and effects from popular Mustang Series amps. 

The Mustang Micro Plus now has 25 guitar amplifier models and 25 effects combinations. Classic Fender tones can be quickly and easily dialed in anywhere. As the name Micro Plus implies, this device is just a bit larger than a pack of Tic Tacs. It plugs straight into your electric guitar, and musicians can effortlessly select from a variety of amp models tailored to their musical style. And as you would expect from Fender, the jack is designed to plug in easily even if your guitar has a recessed jack, like on a Telecaster.

Right out of the box, 70 different sounds are ready to go for hours of inspiration. From creamy clean swirling chorused echoes to clean jazz, '70s hard rock to '90s metal… any guitar player should be able to find some great sounds they will enjoy right away. Each preset has nine different EQ presets available. The integrated LED display is bright and clear, and the built-in tuner works well.

A metronome with a Tap feature can help you find and set a tempo right away. You can use your favorite headphones wired with a mini plug or connect to ear buds via Bluetooth to enjoy the stereo sounds. If you spend a lot of time with the Micro Plus, you may do well to memorize all the buttons as you can’t really see them once the unit is plugged in, but you can change them by touch.

The level of sophistication and power in this little amp is huge, but don’t let that scare you. It is easy to navigate. Musicians can save and instantly recall their favorite amp and effect settings with the 100 editable presets. If you want to get deep into saving presets, programming and getting other players programs, the Micro Plus is compatible with the Fender Tone: iOS and Android app for use with your tablet or phone. Additionally, it has Bluetooth audio streaming with audio/video sync to enable playing along in real-time with your favorite music. 

The Micro Plus ships with 6 months free of Studio One+, the Digital Audio Workstation and music creation “ecosystem” partnership with PreSonus and Fender. $129.00

fender.comThe post New Toys: The Fender On-the-Go Amplifier (Mustang Micro Plus) first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Nelly sued for at least $50m over allegedly not crediting former St. Lunatics bandmates on hit album Country GrammarUS rapper Nelly has been sued by his former bandmates, the St. Lunatics, over a copyright dispute regarding several tracks from his hit album Country Grammar, which was released in 2000. The complaint was filed by lawyers in New York on Thursday (September 18) on behalf of Ali Jones (Ali), Torhi Harper (Murphy Lee), Robert … Continued
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Irving Azoff’s GMR just struck a $3.3 billion private equity deal, say MBW sourcesLook. We’ve broken some pretty big news of late. Proper news. But this? Size-of-transaction-wise, this tops the lot. MBW has confirmed via well-placed sources that Irving Azoff’s US-headquartered PRO, Global Music Rights (GMR), struck a multi-billion dollar deal yesterday (September 18) with a new private equity partner. The deal, we’re told, valued GMR at USD … Continued
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NITO indie agents, managers take ticket scalper complaint to FedsThe National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) has filed a formal ticket scalper complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleging widespread violations of the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act.
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Imagine Dragons livestream to benefit Tyler Robinson Foundation FridayThe Tyler Robinson Foundation and Bandsintown are hosting a special Imagine Dragons livestream performance from Los Vegas tomorrow Friday, September 20th at 9:30 PM PT/12:30 AM ET.
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Q2 2024 music market metrics: bifurcation is hereThere are so many music industry metrics and financial results flying around these days that it can be difficult to keep up with them all. Don’t worry, we’ve got you. MIDiA has just published the first edition of a brand-new report series: quarterly music metrics. The aim of the report is to synthesise a sea of data into the insights that matter. Here are some highlights from the first edition.

Q2 2024 faced intense music industry scrutiny, with Universal Music Group’s (UMG) streaming revenue growth lagging that of market leader DSP Spotify. A complex mix of factors contributed to this trend –– UMG pointed to sluggish performance of Amazon Music and Apple Music, though regional factors were probably the main culprit, with Spotify growing well in Global South regions where UMG is not as strong. 

Earlier this week, UMG’s Sir Lucian Grainge laid out UMG’s vision for ‘streaming 2.0’ – a more segmented approach to taking the streaming market to its next phase. This included a more considered outlook of 10% annual subscriptions growth 2023 – 2028. Which is exactly what MIDiA projected in our music forecasts. It is solid and achievable growth. But one that does indeed need a fresh, more nuanced approach with the music market now bifurcating, both in business terms (DSPs vs social) and geographic terms (Global South vs Western markets).

The signs of bifurcation are already apparent with early signs of a slowdown in streaming music consumer behaviour to accompany the revenue trend. Spotify and YouTube Music were the only leading DSPs to experience weekly active user (WAU) growth between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024. All other DSPs saw declines over the period. This is not a one-off event. Between Q2 2020 and Q3 2022, all DSPs experienced steady WAU growth. From then on, however, all experienced flattening or declining growth. 

YouTube is worth taking note of as well. WAUs for watching music videos on YouTube have been in steady decline since Q3 2022, reflecting the growing competition from short form (both TikTok and YouTube’s own Shorts). YouTube Music app WAUs were up slightly.

The streaming slowdown is not restricted to DSP WAUs. The vast majority of monthly consumer streaming activities and wider monthly music behaviours, were also down. 

Secular trends are likely at play, namely cost of living pressures and growing competition for attention from other forms of entertainment. Interestingly though, the fact YouTube Music and Shorts, and TikTok related activities were the only ones to buck the trend is evidence of the bifurcation of music between DSPs and social, with the latter on the up.

But streaming value chain dynamics aside, Q2 24 was another quarter of solid growth across the wider music industry with leading labels, publishers, DSPs, and live music companies all registering growth once more. Total revenue across the fifteen leading music companies tracked by MIDiA were up 9.6% in Q2 2024, to reach $20.7 billion, with publishers and DSPs growing fastest.

Live continued its post-lockdown renaissance but the first signs of moderating growth are showing, with Live Nation’s and Eventim’s combined growth rate of 8.2% the first single digit growth rate since recovery started in Q2 21. There is no cause for alarm bells yet, but saturation of market demand for increasingly expensive live experiences will likely manifest in the coming years.

If you liked what you saw here, then check out the full report: Q2 2024 music metrics | Bifurcation is here

If you are not yet a MIDiA client, then drop us a line at businessdevelopment@midiaresearch.com

And as if you need any further persuasion, the data file with the report includes around a million consumer data points alongside quarterly company financials across labels, publishing, streaming and live, including separate sheets for major labels, publishers, and South Korea!

Rise of the Songwriter Brand [MIDiA’s Tatiana Cirisano]Explore the rise of the songwriter brand that has played a major role in shaping the current industry. With this shift, songwriters can gain more recognition and opportunities beyond traditional songwriting roles.
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TikTok says that over one in four of Germany’s Top 100 singles of 2023 was popular on its platform before becoming a chart hit in the market'TikTok has disrupted the way hits are created and in doing so, in a sense, started a democratization of the music industry,' said Charlotte Stahl, Head of Music partnerships, EMEA
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Willie "Prophet" Stiggers Honored with Visionary Award at 2024 SESAC Music AwardsSESAC's Sam Kling, Willie "Prophet" Stiggers, SESAC's Mario Prins  (Photo credit: mèShell studio)

SESAC celebrated its songwriters and music publishers behind the most-performed songs of 2023 across a variety of genres at The Highlight Room in Hollywood last night, September 17, marking the third year the awards took place in Los Angeles.

The event was attended by several top music industry executives, artists, songwriters, and publishers including Bryan Michael Cox, Prophet, Alex Isley, Knox, and Kenyon Dixon, among others.

Jack Harlow continues his winning streak for the fourth year, taking home both Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year with his smash hit “Lovin On Me”. Sony Music Publishing was named Publisher of the Year for the third year in a row, taking home multiple awards including “3D” recorded by Jack Harlow and Jung Kook, as well as “Good Good” recorded by Usher, Summer Walker and 21 Savage, among many others.  

Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) co-founder, president and CEO, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, was presented with SESAC’s Visionary Award in recognition of the organization’s ongoing work championing artists and creating equity within the music industry. “Prophet’s dedication to equality and racial justice has inspired us all to do more and build a stronger, more equitable creative community. I'm proud to call him a friend," said Mario Prins, VP, Creative Services.  

Additional award-winning writers include Jimmy Napes;Ariana Grande; Green Day; Fede Vindver; and longtime SESAC songwriter, Traci Hale for her co-write with SESAC writer and performer, Burna Boy.  

“We are honored to celebrate our songwriters and publishers,” shared Sam Kling, Chief Creative Officer, SESAC Performing Rights. “It takes so much effort from so many to bring these songs to life, and we’re thrilled to be able to recognize the dedication and talent of our SESAC family.”

Opening the show was SESAC President & COO, Scott Jungmichel and Chief Creative Officer Sam Kling, as well as VP, Creative Services Mario Prins and VP, Creative Services & Operations Diana Akin Scarfo. Artist and SESAC songwriter Tamara Jade, who performed at the 66th GRAMMY Awards with Jon Batiste and recently toured with Doja Cat, served as the MC for the evening for the second year in a row.   

Sponsors for the event included Bombas, EBOOST, Hasbro, Herban Essentials, Pause Wellness Studio, Pura Vida, Purely Elizabeth, Vacation Sunscreen, and Yeti.   

For event highlights, visit @SESAC on Instagram. A full list of winners is available below and at www.sesac.comThe post Willie "Prophet" Stiggers Honored with Visionary Award at 2024 SESAC Music Awards first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

TuneCore says that tracks within its ‘TuneCore Accelerator’ program ‘experienced nearly 10 billion new streams’ in the first half of 2024TuneCore has released the second edition of its 'TuneCore Accelerator Report'
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Labels vs Distribution: The Lines Are Blurring [Jay Gilbert]Learn the difference between labels and distribution and how those lines are blurring as each shifts focus and adds or subtracts services to better compete for talent.
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Lyte Seeks a Buyer as Founder, Former Employees Speak OutTicketing company Lyte shut down suddenly late last week. Now Lyte seeks a buyer as founder Ant Taylor, former employees, and affected promoters and fans are offering a clearer picture of the closer despite $53 million in funding.
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What are Vinyl Records made of? (The Answer is NOT what you think…)Ever wondered what gives vinyl records their iconic sound and durability? Uncover the materials and processes that make vinyl records a timeless music medium.
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